Lifting systems of a comparable nature are known for example from DE 100 21 163 A1, DE 2 041 925 A1, EP 1 795 443 A1, EP 094 434 A1 or U.S. Pat. No. 6,808,337 B1, U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,404.
DE 2 041 925 A1 indicates for example a floating, self-lifting platform but which is equipped with relatively high-resource rack and pinion gears, meaning that lowering and raising of supporting legs takes place relatively slowly by means of this shape locking device.
These lifting systems used with different types of watercraft, stationary offshore structures or working units frequently have the disadvantage that they require relatively high resources in their construction and usually use shape locking lifting and holding systems.
This construction technique does not usually allow relatively rapid positioning of a corresponding watercraft or the overcoming of the stationary state to be achieved.
With the establishment of offshore windparks or other comparable offshore installations such as surveying platforms, artificial islands or also drilling platforms it is increasingly important to guarantee in the supply of these offshore installations a rapid and reliable transport also of required components which are as large as possible to these fixed location offshore installations which can be quickly assembled.
It is thus endeavoured to separate the logistics chain for the supply of such offshore installations into the fields of transport and installation of the supply goods and components.
For the efficient transport of components and parts from the port for example to an offshore windpark it would thus be advantageous to be able to couple the advantages of a feeder lifting island with those of a transport vessel. It would mean on the one hand that the sea swell during the time of unloading of the supply goods is irrelevant and on the other hand that due to the function of the transport vessel high flexibility, speed and economy are achieved.